Solid Finnish helps Ducks win third in a row

The Ducks' Luca Sbisa is congratulated by Matt Beleskey after Sbisa's second period goal in the second period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Ducks Saku Koivu keeps the puck away form the Stars' Tom Wandell, left, and Trevor Daley in the first period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Ducks' Saku Koivu celebrates with teammates after collecting the second hat trick of his career on Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Ducks' Corey Perry tries to score on Dallas Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen in the second period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Dallas Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen watches as the Ducks celebrate a goal by Luca Sbisa in the second period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Duck players celebrate a second period goal by Luca Sbisa against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Ducks' Matt Beleskey, left, celebrates with teammates Andrew Cogliano and Nick Bonino after scoring a third period goal against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Stars' Alex Goligoski and the Ducks' Andrew Cogliano battle for the puck in the second period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Ducks' Saku Koivu celebrates with teammate Teemu Selanne after collecting the second hat trick of his career in the third period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Ducks' Corey Perry tries to maintain control of the puck against the Stars' Trevor Daley in the first period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Ducks' Bobby Ryan battles the Stars' Sheldon Souray in the first period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Ducks' Jason Blake tries to maintain control of the puck against the Stars' Adam Pardy in the first period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Ducks' Andrew Cogliano reaches for the puck against the Stars' Nicklas Grossman in the second period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Ducks' Saku Koivu celebrates with teammate Teemu Selanne after collecting the second hat trick of his career in the third period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The Ducks' Luca Sbisa is congratulated by Matt Beleskey after Sbisa's second period goal in the second period Tuesday night. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ANAHEIM – Teemu Selanne had an empty net in front of him, which is nirvana to one of the NHL's greatest goal scorers of all time.

But there was his linemate and longtime friend Saku Koivu skating to the left of him and sitting on two goals. With a chance to close out the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night, Selanne didn't think twice about what he would do with the puck.

"There's no way I would take a shot myself," Selanne said, smiling after the Ducks' 5-2 victory in front of an announced crowd of 12,152 at Honda Center.

"I knew Sak was going to have a chance to score a hat trick. So happy for him."

Koivu got the pass from Selanne and shot it into an empty net to finish off his second career three-goal game and first in more than nine years in leading the Ducks (13-22-6) to their third consecutive victory.

His other hat trick came on Nov.18, 2002, for Montreal against Pittsburgh, leading Koivu to say afterward that "there's only two of those so you can't forget them."

So what did Koivu think of Selanne passing up a chance to add to the 651 in his pocket?

Goals by Steve Ott and Alex Goligoski just 64 seconds apart to open the third erased a two-goal Ducks lead and would have done them in a month or even a week ago. But they're now responding to adversity.

Koivu broke the 2-2 tie at 9:32 of the period.

Then, Matt Beleskey got his first goal in nearly a year to make it 4-2. It was enough for goalie Jeff Deslauriers, who started in place of an injured Jonas Hiller and made 26 saves.

His last NHL game was April 11, 2010 for Edmonton – coincidentally against the Ducks where he was torched for seven goals in a 7-2 loss.

"Obviously it's been a year and a half since I've played an NHL game so it's been a long time," Deslauriers said. "So I was very happy to be back in. Everybody here make me feel like part of the family. We won because the guys played hard in front.

"You have Saku scoring three goals, stepping up big time. Defensemen clearing the rebound and making me see the puck. All that together makes us get the two points tonight."

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